The Denver Fortnightly Club was organized on April 13, 1881 by eleven Denver women who sought more mental stimulation than their lives previously provided. They met at the home of Mrs. Charles Denison, 1400 Champa Street. Mrs. Denison’s friends lived nearby and across Cherry Creek. Minutes of this first meeting reflected that their purpose was “to organize a society for mutual benefit in study and thought upon subjects as may present themselves for consideration”. They planned to meet each fortnight in winter in one of their homes, with different members presenting the programs.
In October, 1881 two more ladies were asked to join, and a decade later there were forty-one members. The essays on a topic chosen by an author were to fall in one of four categories: Art and History, Current Topics, Literature, or Social Science. The week before the paper was to be presented it was read to the appropriate committee, who could pass or reject it. If passed, members of the committee prepared to critique it following the meeting. This tradition was the forerunner of the present custom of having a Chairman of the Day introduce the essayist and conduct the discussion.
Other traditions have survived. A member becomes president in the chronological order of her election to membership, assuring that each member eventually assumes that responsibility. The original order of business is still the accepted format for meeting. The year’s most outstanding papers are still selected by an anonymous committee. They are no longer to be preserved in the “Chest”, but are preserved in the Western History section of the Central Denver Public Library.* Membership is often a family tradition with daughters, granddaughters, and great granddaughters participating together. The chronological list includes well-known scientists, artists, educators, city planners, landscape architects, writers, legislators, as well as business and civic leaders.